Diller began her career in the 1950s when women stand-up comics were rare. She created an indelible persona with her distinctive laugh, a cigarette holder, teased hair, outlandish costumes and a fictional husband she called “Fang.”
Her first national exposure came as a contestant on Groucho Marx's TV show You Bet Your Life.
After retiring from stand-up in 2002, Diller continued to take occasional small parts in movies and TV shows, and she pursued painting as a serious hobby.
She published her autobiography, Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse, in 2005.
The 2006 film Goodnight, We Love You documented her career.
The cause of Phyllis Diller's death was not released.
(Photo by Allan Warren, 1973.)
